Where it GrowsThroughout Eastern U.S., and to a lesser extent on the West Coast (bigleaf maple). Average tree height is 60 to 80 feet.

General DescriptionIn most respects soft maple is very similar to hard maple. Generally the sapwood is greyish white, sometimes with darker colored pith flecks. The heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. The wood is usually straight-grained. The lumber is generally sold unselected for color.

Working PropertiesSoft maple machines well and can be stained to an excellent finish. It glues, screws, and nails satisfactorily. Polishes well and is suitable for enamel finishes and brown tones. It dries slowly with minimal degrade and there is little movement in performance.

Main usesFurniture, panelling, interior joinery, kitchen cabinets, mouldings, doors, musical instruments, and turning. Soft maple is often used as a substitute for hard maple or stained to resemble other species such as cherry. Its physical and working properties also make it a possible substitute for beech.

NATURAL VENEER is composed of both heartwood and sapwood and is generally less expensive than select or uniform veneers.

ROTARY CUT: Rotary cutting is a method used to peel a log into thin sheets of wood as if unrolled from a spool, like paper towels . Rotary cut decorative veneer can give a variegated grain appearance, and can vary tremendously. It is usually the least expensive veneer style. Rotary cutting is the only way to achieve a 48" wide whole-piece face.